Robert Baillie, the Scotch commissioner, while in London, anxiously
watching the rise of the power of the Independents in Parliament, with
each victory of their armies in the field wrote, "Liberty of conscience,
and toleration of all and any religion, is so prodigious an impiety that
this religious parliament cannot but abhor the very meaning of it." Nor
did his reverend brethren of the Westminster Assembly fall any whit behind
him when they rose to expound the word. In a letter of 17th May, 1644, he
thus described their doctrine: "This day was the best that I have seen
since I came to England.... After D. Twisse had begun with a brief prayer,
Mr. Marshall prayed large two hours, most divinely, confessing the sins of
the members of the assembly, in a wonderful, pathetick, and prudent way.
After, Mr. Arrowsmith preached an hour, then a psalm; thereafter, Mr.
Vines prayed near two hours, and Mr. Palmer preached an hour, and Mr.
Seaman prayed near two hours, then a psalm; after, Mr. Henderson brought
them to a sweet conference of the heat confessed in the assembly, and
other seen faults to be remedied, and the conveniency to preach against
all sects, especially Anabaptists and Antinomians. Dr. Twisse closed with
a short prayer and blessing." [Footnote: Baillie's _Letters and Journals_,
ii. 18.]
But Cromwell, gifted with noble instincts and transcendent political
genius, a layman, a statesman, and a soldier, was a liberal from birth
till death.
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